Vault-lock protector



'June 24,1930. H. BORKENHAGEN ET AL 1,

' VAULTI LOCK PROTECTOR I I Fi1ed June 3, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1YierberZiBonen/za en; Z 'OZ S on,

H. BORKENHAGSEN ET AL vkqLT LOCK PROTEIGTOR Fild June a, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 a o9o g2 22 Patented June 24, 193% UNITED; sr a'rssHEBIBERT BORKENHAGEN AND AUGUST OLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS mewsVAULT-LOCK rnornc'ron Application filed June 3,

This invention relates to vault protecting devices, particularlyprotective] means for the controlling dial of a combination lock toprevent unauthorized access thereto.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved lock protectivedevice which contains a noxious gas and entirely surrounds thecombination dial of the lock. A key controlled cover permits access tothe dial by authorized persons, but any attempt to forcibly remove thecover will result in the discharge of the noxious gas.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a gas dischargingmeans that is responsive either to a blow on the cover or a movement ofthe mounting ring.

A further object is also to improvethe locking means which secures thelock cover tothe mounting ring. I

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and accompanying drawings. i

This invention in a preferred form is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: a

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a vvault door showing thedevice mounted over the dial of a combination lock, the cover being inthe unlocked position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view with the cover removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the device with the cover inthe locked posi tion taken on line IIIIII of Figure 2.

- Figure 4: is an enlarged vertical section of the device with the coverin the locked position taken on line IV-TV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is. an enlarged vertical section of the device with the coverin the locked position taken on line V--V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a segmental bottom view of the lock operating mechanism,taken on the line -VI-VI of Figure 4:.

1929. Serial No. 367,917;

Figure 7 is an enlarged segmental vertical section of the lock operatingmechanism taken on line VII-VII of Figure 6.

As shown onthe drawings: r

A vault door 1 is shown upon which ismounted the usual bolt operatinghandle 2, combination lock dial 3 and the protective device 4 which hasits cover 5 swung to the normal unlocked position. Withthe cover in thisposition the combination dial is-exposed, thereby permitting thevault tobe unlocked. I f

A mounting ring 6 is'centered' about th combination dial 3 and is heldin place by means of large headedcap screws 7 extending throughapertures8 in the ring 6. These apertures are larger than the cap screwsand permit the ring to be shifted a limited amount relative to thecombination dial. The ring is initially mounted by means of screws 9which are threaded into the screw plugs 10 mounted in the vault door.These screws have acontracted portion 11 which is designed to be shearedby a blow suthcient to shift the mounting ring 6 when held in place bythe cap screws 7 The upper end of the mounting ring 6 has an annulargroove 12 -for receiving an outwardly turned flange 13 of the domeshaped cover 5. An annular plate 14 is mounted in the bottom of thegroove 12 and covers a locking ring 15, The plate 14 is secured-to thering 6 by means of small cap screws v16 eirtending' upwardly throughapertures 17 in the ring.

A charged material 18, adapted to give ofij noxious gas when subjectedto heat, is held within the'dome of the cover 5 by means of a retafiningplate 19 which is secured in place by a screw 20 extending through acentral aperture of the plate and threadedly engaging a boss in the domeof cover 5. The plate 19 has a depending annular V groove stampedtherein; the inner side of which forms a conical section21 in which areplaced apertures 22 which allow the noxious gas to escape from the dome.These apertures are normally sealed with wax or other material which atnormal temperatures is solid. Secured to the outer side of the V grooveare a plurality of threaded sleeves 23, designed to receive a blankcartridge 24 which, when fired will vaporize the noxious gas material. Afiring pin 25 is held in position against the cap of the cartridge bymeans of a sleeve 26, which is in threaded engagement with sleeve 23. Ahammer pin 27 is aligned with the firing pin 25. The hammer pin projectsthrough an aperture in the upper end of an outer sleeve 28, whichsurrounds an inner sleeve 29, having said hammer pin slidably fittedinto its upper end. The inner sleeve and hammer pin are moveddownwardly, with respect to the out-er sleeve which is securely held inthe ring 6 by a set screw 30, by means of a coil spring 31, placedbetween the upper ends of the two sleeves. Within the inner sleeve isthe screw 9, previously referred to, which forms the hammer of thefiring mechanism surrounded by a spring 32. The screw 9 has a contractedsection 11 whereit projects through an aperture in the lower end of theinner sleeve 29. This screw is threaded into plug 10 mounted in thevault door and when tightened compresses the spring 32, as well aslocates the ring 6 on the vault door.

The cover 5 is attached to the ring 6 by a guide pin 33 which isthreadedly secured to the horizontal flange 13 of the cover. This guidepin extends downwardly through an aperture in the annular plate 14 andan aperture 34 in the ring 6. The lower portion of the guide pin iscylindrical in form and has an outwardly turned annular flange 35 at itslower edge extending to the wall of the aperture 34. A stop pin 36surrounded by a coil spring 37 is positioned within the cylindricalportion of the guide pin. The lower end of aperture 34 is threaded tore- K ceive a screw plug 38 having a frangible top. It is evident,therefore, that the screw plug may be raised or lowered to limit thedownward movement of the stop pin 36 and thereby adjust the space 39between the flange 13 of the cover 5 and the annular plate 14. The cover5 may be moved away. from the ring 6 until the position is reached wherethe annular flange 35 of the guide pin 33 strikes the top of aperture34. As soon, however, as the cover clears the ring 6, it is free to berotated about the guide pin for exposing the combination dial.

Locking pins 40 are secured to the flange 13 of the cover and areadapted to enter apertures in the annular ring 14 and apertures 41 inring 6 in alignment therewith. A piston having a depending wall 42 iscontained within the aperture 41 and is movable in a longitudinaldirection relative to the walls thereof. A pin 43 is centrally securedto the top of the piston and extends clownwardly therefrom to form astop for limiting the downward movement of the piston. A coil spring 44which is contained within the piston wall 42 and surrounds the pin 43,tends to push the piston to the upper end of the aperture 41. The lowerend of the aperture 41 is threaded to receive a screw plug 45 which issimilar to plug 38 and serves a like purpose. 7 i

A tumbler lock 46 vertically mounted in the rin 6 may be operated by akey which is inserted through a key guide47 which is rotatably mountedin the flange 13 of the cover 5. Flanges on the flange 13 of the coverengage annular grooves in the key guide and since the lower face of thekey guide is larger than the upper face, it is impossible to forciblyremove the guide thru the upper face of the flange 13. As an addedprotection for the look, a circular steel plate 47 having an aperturefor the key, is secured to its upper end to protect that part of thelock containing the tumblers. The rotating element of the lock 46 has acam 55, Figure 6, mounted upon its lower end. A stud 56 projecting fromthe cam will, when the cam is rotated by the lock key, be brought intoengagement with an inwardly directed projection 57 which is integralwith a lower locking ring 48. A resilient pin 58 is moimted in the ring6 on the opposite side ofthe proj ection .57 from the stud 56. The camon the opposite side from the stud 56 is formed into a beveled shoulder59 which will engage a shoulder on the resilient pin 58, when the cam isrotated to lift the pin. When the lower locking ring is in the lockedposition it cannot be moved to the unlocked position without a key, assuch movement is prevented by the pin 58. It will be evident, however,that when the cam is rotated by a suitable key, the pin 58 will beretracted into ring 6 and'permit, upon further rotation of the cam, themovement of the lower locking ring 48'to the unlocked position by meansof the stud 56. The lower locking ring 48 is circular in form and isslidably mounted in a groove in the bottom of ring 6. An upper lockingring 15 is rotatably mounted in a groove in the upper portion of ring 6and is connected to the lower locking ring by means of spacers 50 whichwill hold the locking rings in a fixed relative position to each otherat all times. Thus it will be seen that any movement of the lowerlocking ring will produce a coincident movement of the upperlockingring. The upper locking ring is provided with an inwardlydirected projection 51 having a straight edge '52 on one side whichengages when rotated,

in slot 53 (Figure 4) of the locking pin 40 and locks the cover 5 to thering 6. A tension spring 54 having one end secured to the locking ring15 and the other to the ring 6 V 9 against the hammer pins 27 whichforces forced away from the mounting ring a slight amount by the springs37 and 44., so that the locking ring cannot again engage the grooves inthe locking pins. The key is removed from the lock.' The cover may thenbe retracted further from the mounting ring and rotated to its naturalhanging position for exposing the combination dial. After the vault doorias been unlocked it is desirable to close the cover again to preventunauthorized tempering with thedial or a premature locking f the vaultdoor.

When used as a protective device to guard against a forcible attempttogain access to the dial; the door is closed and-locked, and the coverlocked over the combination dial. In this position, if a forcibleattempt is made to'get at the dial, either the ring 6 is shifted or thecover will be forced toward the ring 6; If the ring 6 is shifted thecontracted portions 11 of the screws 9 are sheared and the springs 32will force the heads of the screws the firing pins 25 against the capsin the cartridges 24:, thus firing the cartridges and vaporizing therepellant liquid. If an attempt is made to gain access to the dial by ablow on the cover 5, the stop pins 36 and 43 will puncture the frangibletops of thescrew plugs 38 and 45 respectively, thus permitting thecover, the cartridge and firing pin to move towards the ring 6 throughthe space 39. Since the hammer pin 27 cannot be moved in a downwarddirection, the result will be to force the firing pin 25 upwardlyagainst the cartridge 24, thus causing it to be fired and the repellantliquid thereby vaporized.

We are aware that numerous details of construction may be varied througha wide range without departing from the principles of this invention,and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted, otherwisethan necessitated by the prior art.

l/Ve claim as our invention:

1. In a lock protecting device, a mounting ring for surrounding thecontrolling element of a lock mechanism, a lock cover interfitting withsaid ring, means for holding said cover in spaced relation to said ring,locking means for securing said cover to said ring, a noxious materialcontained in said cover, means in said cover for vaporizing saidmaterial, and means in said ring adapted to energize said vaporizingmeans upon either a shifting movement of the ring or downward movementof said cover from the locked position.

' E 2. In a lock protectingdevice, a mounting ring for surrounding thecontrolling element of'a lockmechanism, a lock cover interfitting withsaid ring, means for holding said cover in spaced relation to said ring,locking means for securing said cover to said ring, a noxious materialcontained in said cover, means in said cover for vaporizing saidmaterial, and means adapted for energizing said vaporizing means uponmovement of said cover.

'3. In a lock protecting device, a mounting ring for surroundingthecontrolling element of a lock mechanism, a look cover, locking pins forsecuring said cover to said ring, said ring having apertures therein forreceiving said locking pins, frangible stop means cooperating with saidlocking pins to maintain said cover in spaced relation to said ring,

a noxious material sealed within said cover, and means in said cover forvaporizing said fluid when said stop means is broken by impact upon saidcover.

4;. In a lock protecting device, a mounting ringdisposed adjacent toalock controlling mechanism, a cover secured to said ring, a noxiousmaterial contained within said cover, cartridges carried by said coveradapted when fired to vaporize said noxious material, a firing plungerhaving a frangible section, spring means for moving said plunger tofiring position when the frangible section is 7 broken by a movement ofsaid ring.

5. :In a lock protecting device, a mounting ring connected to asustaining element, a cover secured to said ring, anoxious materialwithin said cover, means in said cover for vaporizing said material, andmeans extending between said ring andits sustaining element adapted toenergize said vaporizing means when said ring is moved relative to itssustaining element.

6. In a lock protecting device, a base ring adapted for mounting upon asustaining element, a cover secured to said ring, a noxious materialwithin said cover, means in said cover for vaporizing said material,means for energizing said vaporizing means, said last means serving tonormally secure the base ring to said sustaining element and releasablefrom said normal position upon movement of said ring.

7 In a lock protecting device, a mounting ring surrounding thecontrolling element of a lock mechanism, a lock cover interfitting withsaid ring, locking pins having a groove secured to said cover, aperturesin said mounting ring for receiving said locking pins, a locking ringwithin said mounting ring, and key means for moving said locking ringinto the groove of the locking pin for securing said cover to saidmounting ring.

8. In a lock protecting device, a mounting ring surrounding thecontrolling element of a lock mechanism, a lock cover interfitting withsaid'ring, locking pins secured to said cover, locking rings adaptedupon rotation to engage said pins and secure, the cover to said mountingring, and means for locking seid locking rings in engagement with saidpins. 7

In testimony whereof we havehereuntosubscribed our names at Chicago,Cook County, Illinois.

HERBERT BORKENHAGEN. AUGUST OLSON.

